Two identical Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactors named (R1 and R2) were used to treat the sewage from the effluent of the reactors at different flow rates (Q) and organic loading rate (OLR). The sewage wastewater was characterized for various parameters as per standard method of analysis and treatment results were analyzed in terms of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS) of effluent at different flow rates. The experiments were performed to study the effect of flow rate on biomass washout and COD removal efficiency of the UASB reactors. The best efficiency of COD removal is achieved at 2 ml/min of 74. 2% and 73.4 % of reactors R1 and R2, respectively. The TSS removal is best accomplished at 2ml/min which is 85.7% and 86%, and TDS diminutions upto 80.3% and 84.5% at 2 ml/min of reactors R1 and R2 respectively. The VSS removal efficiency varies from 82.8% and 84% were noticed at flow rate 2 ml/min of reactors R1 and R2 respectively. So it was concluded that the UASB reactors were operated best at 2 ml/min.


The invention discloses a preparation method of a cholic acid-naphthalimide anti-tumor lead compound, belongs to the field of chemical synthesis of medicaments, and particularly relates to a synthesis method of a new naphthalimide compound with a chemical structural general formula shown in the specification. The preparation method of the compound is economical, simple, mild and effective. The obtained compound has extremely high inhibitory activity on HepG2 cells; and compared with phase-II clinic lead compound methylamphetamine, the compound partially has more superior inhibitory activity and can be used for preparing anti-tumor medicaments.


The labor scheduling literature has demonstrated that the use of flexibility in designing employee schedules can result in a substantial improvement in labor utilization. This paper presents a new implicit integer linear programming formulation for the inclusion of meal/rest-break flexibility. Although the use of flexible break assignments in labor staffing decisions has been of research interest since an early article by Segal 1974, due to problem size, the majority of related research has involved the use of heuristics. An experimental analysis using four different labor requirements patterns and ten shift-length combinations demonstrated that, when flexible break assignments were modeled, the implicit formulation was superior to the traditional set-covering formulation with respect to 1 execution time, 2 computer memory requirements, and 3 the ability to produce optimal integer solutions to larger problems incorporating greater flexibility. Finally, a number of possible extensions of the implicit modeling approach for use in other labor scheduling environments are identified.


Objective To evaluate the state of Strepto ~ occus pneumoniae infection in children with influenza,andto provide accurate and reliable basis for clinic.Methods A total of 153 specimens of sputum and throat swabscollected from ill children with respiratory tract infection,which was performed germicuhure and drug susceptibility tests to 16 antibiotics such as penicillin G,the infective rate,drug resistant rate and β-lalilases in-cidence of S.pneumoniae were analysed.Results The identified rate of S.pneumoniae in 153 specimens was 17%(26/153); the resistant rate to erythromycin.clindamycin and tetracycline was 100% and it was found that these bacteria were also resistant to all the other agents in different degrees except susceptible to vancomycin,cefuroxime sodium,rifampieine and nitrofurantoin; the incidence of β-lactamases was 66%.Conclusions Among the 51 identified S.pneumoniae,the resistant rate to penicillin was 27%,the intermediate susceptibility was 49%,which suggested that drug resistant tendency be in existence; β-actamases producing strains were all resistant to penicillin G and showed multidrug resistance; using drug according to experiences could not control the disease effectively,however,it would result in drug-resistance.


Indonesian banking industry has shown a very tight competition among
banks, both in gathering funds and giving loan. Time of loan approval has become
very important aside from competitive interest rate. A fast and simple credit
approval process proven to be one of the main reason why a prospective customer
choose a bank instead of others.
The research will focus on the evaluation of credit approval process,
especially in PT. Bank ABC corporate banking segment. Lean Six Sigma will be
used as method of credit process evaluation at PT. ABC Bank. This method was
chosen due to emphasize to the needs of customers. With Lean method, PT. Bank
ABC can speed up the process and eliminate processes that do not provide added
value. While Six Sigma method process improvements can be made with more
structured and measurable. With process improvement, PT. Bank ABC is expected
to achieve, maintain and maximize their business success.


Simple Summary Red deer (Cervus elaphus) are farmed in New Zealand for the production of velvet antler. Velvet is harvested as living antler tissue, and currently lignocaine is the only licensed local anaesthetic approved for deer antler removal in New Zealand. The use of lignocaine is not without consequences, including drug residues in harvested velvet antler tissue and its short acting analgesic effect. This study was designed to determine the effect of local anaesthetic, articaine hydrochloride as an alternative treatment and to establish the baseline measurements of mechanical nociceptive threshold in 40 male yearling red deer. Ten of the forty enrolled deer were selected for the articaine efficacy study. The mechanical nociceptive thresholds were measured using a handheld algometer applied at 4 points; the cranial, medial, caudal and lateral aspects of the base of each antler. The force applied, which resulted in a movement by the animal, was recorded in newtons (N). This study showed that nociceptive threshold response in deer could be reliably measured, and articaine proved to be a promising alternative for velveting the deer antlers. Abstract New Zealand deer farming centres on the production of meat and velvet antler. Velvet antler removal is a painful procedure and currently, New Zealand Animal Welfare regulations dictate surgical removal of velvet antlers under lignocaine anaesthesia. To improve our knowledge on the efficacy and duration of other local anaesthetics to mitigate pain after antler removal, it is important to accurately assess and quantify pain arising from antler removal. Therefore, the current study was designed to validate mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) testing using a Wagner hand-held algometer, and to apply this methodology to assess the efficacy and duration of action of articaine for antler removal in deer. Baseline force (N) required to elicit the nociceptive response was recorded in 40 yearling male red deer on three alternate days. Ten of the 40 animals were selected for antler removal after administration of 4% articaine hydrochloride as a ring block. The duration of analgesic efficacy of articaine was assessed by algometry across 5 time points. There was a significant difference in MNTs among the three days (day 3 versus day 1 (p < 0.0001), day 2 versus day 1 (p < 0.0001), and day 1 versus day 2 (p < 0.01)). Positive correlations were observed between weight, antler length and thresholds. The MNT values remained above 20N for 6 h after removal of velvet antlers under the articaine ring block. This study provides valuable information about the use of MNT in red deer. These findings lay a foundation for future studies in the topics of peri-operative and postoperative pain management in deer antler removal, and a possible alternative use for articaine.


..............................................................................................xii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION................................................................1 1.1 Background to the Study.................................................................................................. 1 1.1.1 Lipa Na M-PESA................................................................................ 2 1.1.2 Mobile Payment Participants.....................................................................4 1.2 Statement of Problem ................................................................................................. 5 1.3 Purpose of Study.......................................................................................................... 6 1.4 Objectives of Study ............................................................................ 6 1.5 Research Questions ...................................................................................................... 6 1.6 Significance of the study ....................................................................... 7 1.7 Delimitation of the study .............................................................................................. 7 1.8 Limitation of the study ......................................................................... 7 1.9 Assumptions of the study ........................................................................... 8 1.10 Definition of Significant Terms as Used in the Study..................................................... 8 1.11 Organization of Study............................................................................. 8 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW.....................................................11 2.


Four, 1-year old beef cattle were randomly assigned according to a 2 ´ 2 Factorial arrangement in a 4 ´ 4 Latin square design to study supplementation of malate level at 500 and 1,000 g with yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae ) at 1,000 and 2,000 g in concentrate containing high levels of cassava chip. The treatments were as follows: T1 is supplementation of malate at 500 g with yeast at 1,000 g; T2 is supplementation of malate at 500 g with yeast at 2,000 g; T3 is supplementation of malate at 1,000 g with yeast at 1,000 g; T4 is supplementation of malate at 1,000 g with yeast at 2,000 g in concentrate, respectively. The animals were offered the treatment concentrate at 1 % BW of dry matter basis and urea-treated rice straw. The results revealed that rumen fermentation and blood metabolites were similar for all treatments. However, the digestibility of nutrients were significantly different for the diets, especially digestible nutrient intake of crude protein (CP) which was higher for cows fed cassava-based diets with T4 rather than T3, T2 and T1 (74.3, 72.5, 71.1 and 68.9 %, respectively). In addition, the concentration of volatile fatty acid was significantly different especially the concentration of propionic acid which was slightly higher in cattle receiving T4 than T3, T2 and T1 (23.3, 21.9, 20.9 and 18.0 %, respectively). The populations of protozoa and fungal zoospores were significantly different as affected by malate and yeast levels. In conclusion, the combined use of concentrate containing high levels of cassava chip at 70 % DM with malate at 1,000 g and yeast at 2,000 g in concentrate with urea-treated rice straw as a roughage improved rumen fermentation and digestibility of nutrients in beef cattle.


In this note,we give a relationship between the Mordell conjecture on the Pellianequation and the action of the Hecke operator on the Hirzebruch sum.


The winding process of carbon fiber is not a new concept, but until now only a few studies have been made in carbon fiber tensioning and winding on complex shapes. The main purpose of the article is to analyze the possibility to conduct the carbon fiber winding using two industrial robots connected as master slave, one to realize the winding and the other to hold and rotate the mandrel, using an own design of an automatic fiber tensioning tool. To have control of the system a force transducer was implemented. The measured force was used to make trajectory adjustments for the robots, having a predefined trajectory. The results obtained from the experimental tests showed that the winding process with two robots and a tensioning system can realize fiber windings with variable tension in molds with complex configurations (3D) of the winding paths. In this way, compact structures of the constantly tensioned fiber bundle can be obtained, according to product requirements.


Objective To investigate the effect of fixation time on HE staining and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Methods Ten cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma tissue were selected with 4 pieces in each case, they were respectively fixed for 8 h, 24 h, 48 h and 1 week. And they were conducted with HE staining and IHC staining with cytokeratin high molecular weight (CKH, clone: 34 β E12) and cytokeratin pan (CKpan, clone: AE1/AE3), the cell morphology, stain and the positive intensity and positive rate of IHC stain was observed. Results HE and IHC staining results showed that the tissue morphology, stain and the positive intensity and positive rate of oral squamous cell carcinoma was best with fixation time for 24 h, and that was worst with fixation time for 8 h. The stain effect of fixation time for 1 week was worse than that for 48 h. Conclusion This study shows that 24 h is the best fixation time for oral squamous cell carcinoma, un-sufficient tissue fixation time has a greater effect on HE and IHC stain than overlong fixation time. The longer fixation time, the greater effect on HE and IHC stain.


[Objective]To investigate the relationship between postmortem interval (PMI) and the changes of DNA content in the rabbits` cornea epithelia.[Methods]DNA contents and the rule of their variation in cornea epithelia were detected at 12-hour-interval within 72 hours after death (without decay) by histochemical assay and image analysis.[Results]There was a descendent trend of the amount of DNA in cells after different PMI, and the degradation rate of nuclear DNA was negatively correlated with the length of PMI ( R=-0.773, P =0.003).[Conclusion]Measuring the amount of DNA in cornea epithelia of rabbit may offer an objective and accurate method for the determination of PMIs.


he typical outbreak of cold Canadian air moves from the Yukon and Northwest Territories southeast into the central United States and is usually kept out of the Rocky Mountain region by the barrier effect of the mountain chain. Cold weather that invades the Great Basin region and Pacific Northwest typically originates from stagnating air masses or Pacific cold fronts that sweep southeast. These air masses have a marine influence and are mild compared to their Canadian counterparts. However, on rare occasions, arctic air will travel southwest of British Columbia and Alberta into Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and points south. A strong outbreak is rare, but the effects can be catastrophic. A strong outbreak on December 20-24, 1990, brought bitter cold to California and destroyed the state's citrus industry. In this issue's puzzle, we see conditions at noon on January 11, 2007. A strong, deep Canadian polar air mass developed over British Columbia and drove cold air south through the western United States. Daytime highs remained in the 30s in Washington and Oregon. Farther east, another portion of the arctic high drove a Great Plains cold front south. The eastern portion of these Canadian outbreaks is often much colder, and as a result, a portion of colder air moved west into Idaho. What caused these incursions of arctic air into the western United States? A significant depth of cold air was necessary, and it took strong or prolonged cooling in the Canadian regions to chill such a large volume of air. Many Great Plains outbreaks are associated with cold air depths of a few thousand feet, but Pacific Northwest outbreaks may be caused by a cold air mass up to 10,000 feet in depth. Another factor was a steering current that guided the outbreak southwest. On the date of this puzzle, northerly mid-tropospheric winds helped push an 8,000-foot deep Canadian air mass south from British Columbia, leading to the unusual weather event that unfolded. It actually can be extremely difficult to keep track of air masses in the intermountain regions. The wide variations in terrain elevation require the forecaster to have an intimate knowledge of the region's topography and to understand the peculiarities of each weather station; not all stations are at the same elevation, and some might be in foothill areas or on mountain summits. It is especially important to monitor trends in temperature, wind, pressure, weather, and cloud cover at each station. A cold front in the western United States is often better identified by hourto-hour changes than by what appears on the map. A few weather websites, such as www.met.tamu.edu/Weather_Interface, allow enthusiasts to see trends at each station. W


Phase change and precipitating solvents have, for some time, been acknowledged as having potential as next-generation solvents for carbon capture. The ability to increase solvent loading and thereby reduce solvent circulation can lead to reduced energy usage and equipment sizing and hence lower capture costs, both capital and operating. Coupling these features with solvents that have lower heats of absorption such as potassium carbonate can add further benefits. In the case of K2CO3 these benefits are: • Low energy (2-2.5 GJ/t) • Low cost (up to 50% less than best amines) • Environmentally benign (no degradation products) • Multi-impurity capture (SOx and NOx converted to fertilizer) • Potassium usage fits within existing global market (no additional K required) However, such systems are not without challenges and learning to deal with these is the key to exploiting next generation solvents. Our work, based on the extensive learnings from laboratory, pilot and plant trials has identified the preferred approaches necessary to make our precipitating potassium carbonate system, UNO MK3, a viable and robust next generation solvent. Design and operation of a solids tolerant absorption column is possibly the single most important feature of a precipitating solvent system with the relative temperature and concentration being controlled to optimise the removal rates, circulation rates, solids loading and energy usage. This paper outlines our approach to deal with these challenges and provides results of trials in three key areas: • Faster kinetics through improved promoters • Higher concentrations of K2CO3 • Stronger, more robust absorption-stripping circuit through a solids tolerant absorber Trials of a range of promoters in high concentration K2CO3 (45w/w) solutions have identified preferred promoter mixes that deliver over 400% increase in absorption rate over that of the unpromoted solution across the complete range of lean and rich loadings required in full scale operation. These results are compared to a range of amines tested in the same absorption facility. These trials provided the basis for the campaigns used in the subsequent absorption stripping trials.


By using plant tissue culture method,the pathogenic fungi of Mulberry brown was separated spot disease from mulberry fields in The Haikou Forest Farm area,Yunnan Province. According to Koch's Rule combined with spraying method,sporangial suspension was inoculate to the leaflet of Mulberry for studying on the biological characteristics of this fungi. The result showed that different medium,temperature,pH,light,carbon source had influence on colony growth,the optimal media for colony growth was oatmeal medium,the optimum temperature was 25℃ and pH value was 11. It was also found that the best carbon source and nitrogen source for colony grow was α-Galoctaose,colony could grow best under full sunlight,and the fatal temperature and time was above 55℃ for 10min.


The genus Coptotettix Bolivar, 1887 is reviewed and a key to the Chinese species of the genus Coptotettix is given, including 30 known species and one new species.


Using signal detection methods, this study found participants were better able to discriminate information from news stories with redundant visuals than from news stories with dissonant visuals. This finding, along with the absence of memory decision-criterion differences between the redundant and dissonant conditions, is further evidence that the robust audio/video redundancy effect in the literature reflects differences of memory strength and not simply a shift in decision criterion. More interesting, there were no significant differences when examining correct recognitions only, further pointing to the need for signal detection methods in media memory studies.


litical culture, and of the progress that had been made in tsarist years toward a form of government that took some account of the society over which it ruled. But they were hardly wrong, in my view, to think of it as authoritarian and collectivist, and this makes it easier, not more difficult, to understand a contemporary Russia in which communists win elections, a majority say they would prefer to return to the life they lived before 1985, and government is in the hands of a former party official based on a constitution that was almost certainly adopted illegally after the Russian parliament had been unconstitutionally suppressed and then bombed into submission.


Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) based on multi-pass cell (MPC) [1-4] is a powerful analytical tool for field applications in air quality monitoring, industrial process control and medical diagnostics. However, the conventional MPC as a core component in TDLAS devices has a large size, low utilization efficiency of the mirror surfaces and tight optical alignment tolerances [5]. Design of miniaturized long-path MPC for the development of handheld portable high sensitivity sensing devices is one of the mainstream trends nowadays. In this work, we designed and fabricated a mini-MPC with an effective optical absorption path length of 4.2 m and dimensions of 4×4×6 cm3, which to our best knowledge is the current smallest MPC in terms of the same optical path length. The mini-MPC generates a seven-nonintersecting-circle dense spot pattern on two 25.4 mm spherical mirror surfaces providing a high fill factor of 21 cm-2. A fiber-coupled collimator and an InGaAs photodetector are integrated into the mini-MPC via a high-resolution 3D-printed frame, hence removing the requirement of active optical alignment. Using a 1.65 μm distributed-feedback laser, the performance of this mini-MPC for methane detection was evaluated in terms of linearity, flow response time, stability, minimum detectable limit and measurement precision. Continuous measurements of methane near a sewer and in the atmosphere were performed to demonstrate the stability and robustness of the highly integrated mini-MPC based gas sensor. This work paves the way towards a sensitive, low-cost, miniature trace gas sensor inherently suitable for large-scale deployment of distributed sensor networks and for handheld mobile devices.

Acknowledgments

The project is sponsored by National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFA0304203), National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (61622503, 61575113, 61805132, 11434007), Outstanding Innovative Teams of Higher Learning Institutions of Shanxi, Foundation for Selected Young Scientists Studying Abroad, Sanjin Scholar (2017QNSJXZ-04) and Shanxi “1331KSC”. Frank K. Tittel acknowledges support by the Robert Welch Foundation (Grant #C0586).

References

[1] L. Dong; F. K. Tittel; C. Li; N. P. Sanchez; H. Wu; C. Zheng, Y. Yu, A. Sampaolo, R. J. Griffin, Opt. Express 24 (2016) A528.

[2] K. Liu, L. Wang, T. Tan, G. S. Wang, W. J. Zhang, W. D. Chen, X. M. Gao, Sensor. Actuat. B-Chem. 220 (2015) 1000.

[3] R. Cui, L. Dong, H. Wu, S. Li, L. Zhang, W. Ma, W. Yin, L. Xiao, S. Jia, F. K. Tittel, Opt. Express 26 (2018) 24318.

[4] C. T. Zheng, W. L. Ye, J. Q. Huang, T. S. Cao, M. Lv, J. M. Dang, Y. D Wang, Sensor. Actuat. B-Chem. 190 (2014) 249.

[5] P. Weibring, D. Richter, A. Fried, J. G. Walega, C. Dyroff, Appl. Phys. B 85 (2006) 207.


We present APHRODITE, an architecture designed to reduce
false positives in network intrusion detection systems. APHRODITE
works by detecting anomalies in the output traffic, and by correlating
them with the alerts raised by the NIDS working on the input traffic.
Benchmarks show a substantial reduction of false positives and that
APHRODITE is effective also after a "quick setup�?, i.e. in the realistic
case in which it has not been "trained�? and set up optimally.


In the contemporary world, inclusion and social development represent the main mechanisms that are used to erase the profound disparities with which humanity is confronted in areas such as the general standard of living, life expectancy, the quality of the environment and basic social services (particularly medical and educational). The United Nations, the European Union and other international stakeholders of various sizes design their medium and long term policies of inclusion and social development by setting down a series of targets which would make the benefits of global economic progress be divided in a manner as equitable as possible.


To enhance the ability of lead-free solder joint to resist failures induced by mechanical impact and shock, some researchers have introduced low-Ag lead-free solder. In this study, the formation and evolution of IMC, the fracture morphology and performance of solder joint between SAC 105 solder and Under Bump Metallization (UBM) have been studied after different temperature storage aging and multi-reflow for WLCSP. The morphology and fracture surface of IMC have been analyzed by SEM, EDX and deeply etching techniques. The behavior of IMC and correlation with fracture mode of joint at high speed ball pull (HSBP) test has been investigated. It has been found that high temperature storage (HTS) aging results in IMC growing from one layer that is (Cu6Sn5) IMC to two different layers that are ((Cu,Ni)6 Sn5 and (Cu,Ni)3Sn4). Multi-reflow results in the IMC layer thickness increasing a little and some needle-like IMC grain spalling into the solder.


The aim of the study was to find out the Socio-economic difference of team and individual game players. For this present study, 50 team and 50 Individual game players were randomly selected as a subject for the present study. The Socio-economic status scale by Kapoor and Koacher (1994) was used to comprised team and individual game players, t-ratios has been used to compare the significantly socio-economic status difference between team and individual game players who were participating inter collegiate tournament held at vaidyanath college Parli in the year 2011 and 2012. Socio-economic status difference were found between team and individual game players (t = P<.01), where individual players having got socio-economic status. While analysis the difference of high SES of team and individual game players, significant high SES differences were found (t= P<.01) where the team players was found to have less score on high SES. Mean while, middle SES was concerned, significant Middle SES difference were found (t=P<.01), where Individual players have high score on middle SES. So, for low SES was concerned, significant low SES differences was found to the team and individual game players (t=p<.01), where team players have high score on low SES.


In the statement of the main theorem (top p.337) published by the author in Bull. Austral. Math. Soc. Vol. 39 (1989) pp.335–338, the phrase, "for which f̄(x) exists" should be replaced by "for which f(x) is continuous and f̄(x) exists".


AbstractLaboratory experiments have been conducted on a series of vanadium and vanadium-nitrogen steels, subjected to a quench-and-temper heat treatment. The results indicate that a good combination of strength and toughness is obtained in a quenched-and-tempered, aluminum-free, V-N steel (YS=648 MPa, 55 J EATT <−60°C). There is a continuous decrease in impact toughness with increasing aluminum content for both V and V -N steels. The reduced hardenability of the nitrogen-bearing steels is attributed to the grain-refining effect of VN and AlN precipitates which form during the 920°C austenitizing treatment. Resume Des essais de laboratoire ont ete faits sur une serie d'aciers au vanadium et a,u vanadium et azote, aciers sujets it un traitement de trempe et revenu. Les resultants montrent qu'une bonne combinaison de resistance et de resilience est obtenue pour un acier V-N, sans aluminium, trempe et revenu (E = 648 MPa, 55 J EATT <−60°C). En augmentant la teneur en aluminium des aciers V et V-N, la resilien...


This paper gives a short introduction to the stellation of polyhedra and describes a web based computer program developed by the author.


The authors have developed a 4.7 Gbyte re-writable disc system with two basic concepts: (1) they have added a re-writable feature on the DVD-R incremental write system. (2) It is physically compatible with DVD-ROM.


The mechanism of strong optical nonlinearity connected with the heating of conduction electrons by far infrared electromagnetic radiation in GaAs is theoretically investigated. It is shown that transitions of electrons from (Gamma) (sigma ) minimum to L(sigma ) minima of energy in conduction band give the main contribution into the effect. It is found that the intensity of electromagnetic wave necessary for effective modulation of reflection coefficient from many layered structure can be strongly reduced in the condition of leaky TM-polarized wave-guide mode excitation in the structure.


Assigned to Associate Editor Bradley Bushman. Abstract In order to facilitate the development of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) strains with colored fiber, the genetic and developmental control of flavonoids in fibers must be understood. The major goal of this study was to determine whether anthocyanidins accumulate in three different natural colored cotton fibers during their development, and to document the expression levels of flavonoid genes necessary for the production of anthocyanidins to determine if differences in expression levels reflect differences in anthocyanidin production. Most flavonoid structural genes were more highly expressed during fiber elongation than before the beginning of secondary cell wall formation. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses showed that the abundance of anthocyanidins was higher in brown fibers than in green or white fibers. Anthocyanidins were present at high levels in fibers, starting at 20 d post-anthesis of fiber development, which is almost at the end of the fiber elongation stage. Brown cotton contains higher delphinidin levels than of green and white cotton. This pattern is consistent with greater expression of anthocyanin pathway genes in brown fibers. In naturally colored cotton, the enzyme Lar (leucoanthocyanidin reductase) converted leucoanthocyanidins to catechin, which are proanthocyanins (PAs) precursor subunits. It is suggested that failure to produce anthocyanins is likely due to a combination of insufficient expression of Ufgt (UDP-glucose: flavonoid 3-Oglucosyltransferase) and high expression of Lar and Anr (anthocyanidin reductase).


ABSTRACTObjective: To describe a makeshift blue light filter for endoscopic visualization of a traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leak repair using intrathecal fluorescein and its application in one patient.

Methods:Study Design:Surgical Instrumentation
Setting:Tertiary Government Training Hospital
Patient:One

Results: Intra-operative endoscopic identification of fistulae sites was achieved using intrathecal injection of fluorescein that fluoresced using our makeshift blue light filter in a 43-year-old man who presented with a 3-month history of rhinorrhea due to skull base fractures along with multiple facial and upper extremity fractures he sustained after a fall from a standing height of 6 feet. He underwent transnasal endoscopic repair of cerebrospinal fluid fistulae in the planum sphenoidale, clivus and sellar floor. Post-operatively, there was complete resolution of rhinorrhea with no complications noted.

Conclusion: Our makeshift blue light filter made from readily available materials may be useful for endoscopic identification of CSF leaks using fluorescein in a low- to middle-income country setting like ours.


Guide describes step-by-step process for installation of interior surface-mounted FCC used in commerical and residential buildings. Photographs illustrate how cable-riser and baseboard covers are installed as well as receptacle assembly and receptacle-cover replacement.


Education is the basic right of every human and to reach this fundamental right the importance of reading cannot be overestimated. Reading is an important part of learning and education and many re ...


Traceability is used to ensure that source code of a system is consistent with its requirements. The only specified requirement has been implemented by developers. During software maintenance and evolution, requirement traceability links become marginal because no developer can devote effort to update it. However, to recover traceability links later is a very painful and monotonous task also it is costly for developers too. Traceability supports the software development process in various ways, like as change management, software maintenance and prevention of misunderstandings. But, while, in practice, traceability links between requirements and codes are not created during the development of software as it requires extra efforts. So developers rarely use such links during development. Why many challenges exist in traceability practices today? However, many of the challenges can be overcome through organizational policy, quality requirements traceability tool support remains the open problem.


Abstract:In 2020, FREEMAN became the most-watched documentary in Australia. This article situates the film's intercultural, multivocal, and multiperspectival story of Cathy Freeman's gold-medal win at the Sydney 2000 Olympics in three contemporary contexts: the Trailblazers collection of sports documentaries that entertained Australians during COVID-19 lockdowns; the Black Lives Matter protests in Australia cities and towns that defied COVID- 19 bans in 2020 and provided a context for remembering Cathy Freeman as a Black activist in the 1990s; and a First Nations context that recognizes Freeman as a Kuku Yalanji woman whose public roles have helped to transform the terms of stranger relationality between Indigenous, settler-colonial, and immigrant Australians.


Recently cloud computing has become a fast growing area and helps to store very huge volume of data. In such a scenario, the computing resources including processor and memory are offered flexibly to the users as services on the internet. The users can get access to any of the resources available on the cloud based on their demand and they have to make payments for such services. In order to provide these features, access control techniques are essential since they satisfy the security requirements for handling the required payments effectively. In this paper, a new security mechanism for cloud computing with a focus on access control is proposed. In the past, different access control techniques including the traditional role-based access control (RBAC) model were used to implement the security features in databases. In this work, the traditional RBAC is modified to suit the security cloud requirements of databases by providing temporal extensions and intelligent agents. From the experiments carried out in this work, it has been observed that the proposed Intelligent Temporal RBAC is well suited to secure the cloud databases effectively. In this model, users or applications are clearly separated according to their job functions for database access with respect to the variation in time and situation.


This study was outlined to declare the effect of releases of Stethorus gilvifrons (Muls.) adults at different predator: prey ratios (P: p) to control the two-spotted red spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch on soybean plants under field cage conditions during summer season of 2007. Effective control of T. urticae was gained after nine day from introducing the adult of the coccinellid predator when the P: p ratio was 1:10 or 1:20. Meanwhile at higher ratios (1:40 and 1: 50), the two-spotted red spider mite numbers were decreased after 12 days from the release. The numbers of the two-spotted red spider mite were decreased by 85 and 79.75% at 1:10 and 1:20 P: p ratios, respectively when adults of the coccinelld released. The number of the two-spotted red spider mite remained zero for a period of 12 days after the release. At the predator: prey ratio of 1:40, the reduction percentage of the two-spotted red spider mite was 10.13 and 40.37% after one and three days. Whereas, at the higher ratios 1:50 the reduction percentage was 8.5 and 32.0, 51.4, 67.2 and 86.70% after one , three, six, nine and 12 days from the release, respectively. After nine days from release P: p of 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, 1:40 and 1:50, the reduction percentage was 85.0, 79.75, 76.87, 76.33 and 67.20 %. After 12 days where as the reduction percentages were 100,100, 92.33, 91.75 and 86.7, respectively. The reduction rate was increased with lower P: p ratios and vice versa.


Background The airways and the upper digestive tract have a common embrional origin, and in sensitized subjects they can respond to allergens with an immediate reaction (asthma, rhinitis or oral allergy syndrome). We investigated the possible functional connection between respiratory tract and upper digestive tract by means of specific oral allergen challenges. Methods Patients sensitized to birch and apple were subdivided in GROUP A (N = 12; asthma and rhinitis due to birch and OAS due to apple) GROUP B (N = 10; OAS due to apple without asthma/rhinitis); GROUP C (N = 8; asthma and rhinitis due to birch without OAS). Healthy subjects represented the control group D (N = 6). Oral provocation test with apple was performed out of the pollen season. Visual analog scale for eye, nose and mouth symptoms, spirometry, nasal eosinophil count and exhaled nitric oxide were assessed before and 6 hours after challenge. Results There was no change in nasal and ocular symptoms before versus after challenge in all groups. On the contrary, in groups A and B the oral scores significantly increased after challenge (P < .001), whereas no change was seen in groups C and D. Exhaled nitric oxide and nasal eosinophils showed no change before versus after challenge in all groups. Nitric oxide was higher before and after challenge in groups A and C versus groups B and D. No change was een as well in forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in one second. Conclusions In the case of birch-apple syndrome, eating apple does not functionally or clinically affect the respiratory tract.


This article reviews the status of Lanna music in higher education, offering suggestions for the development of Lanna music in Northern Thai universities. The researcher adopts a phenomenological method, utilising data from a number of interviews (N=20) and observations. The results suggest that Lanna music in higher education plays a significant role in shaping the cultural identity of the community. This unique style of music is often taught as a core area of study, as an extension to existing music curricula, or is being offered elsewhere as a general subject of study pursued by non-music students. In the development of Lanna music curricula, the main objective is to sustain musical traditions, musical creativity and to promote professionalism in performance. The curriculum needs to consider the readiness of the elements, especially those pertaining to culture and community, which form the foundation of knowledge. The curriculum should develop learners on the basis of their interests and potentials and promote a local program which is attentive to local contexts. Finally, the curriculum should consider the diversity of culture and needs of the community.


The new semiconductive title phase is synthesized by evaporation of an aqueous solution of (NH4)2Cr2O7 and Mn(NO3)2 followed by calcination at 400 °C for 1 h.


A novel biological method for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using the fungus Verticillium is reported. Exposure of the fungal biomass to aqueous Ag+ ions resulted in the intracellular reduction of the metal ions and formation of silver nanoparticles of dimensions 25 ± 12 nm. Electron microscopy analysis of thin sections of the fungal cells indicated that the silver particles were formed below the cell wall surface, possibly due to reduction of the metal ions by enzymes present in the cell wall membrane. The metal ions were not toxic to the fungal cells and the cells continued to multiply after biosynthesis of the silver nanoparticles.


The microgrid is a promote solution for renewable energy systems integration in the grid; it can reduce the penetration limits in the electrical grid due to the intermittency nature of such systems like photovoltaic (PV) power. The ability to forecast the PV power availability for a short-term horizon affects the reliability of the microgrid. Proper forecasting significantly helps to improve the operation of the microgrid. In this work, short-term PV power generation forecasting using long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural network is developed. The impact of changing the LSTM model on forecasting performance was studied. Analysis of forecasting results indicates that when the variation of PV power is higher, it is more complex to deal with the nonlinearity of the forecasting model to provide accurate forecasting.


Objective To investigate the different tumor-related genes expression in colorectal cancer.Methods The expressed differentially genes between colorectal cancer and normal colorectal tissues were analyzed with gene chip(contained 8 064 human target genes),and of 4 genes were verified by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Results The 1 807 genes expressed differentially in colorectal cancer,and 936 genes unregulated and 871 genes down regulated;The different expression of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes were 57,which 36 genes unregulated and 21 genes down regulated.Among the 1 807 expressed differentially genes,the results of RT-PCR to verify 4 pairs of differential expression genes were conformed to gene chip.Conclusion It is demonstrated that colorectal cancer development is related to differential expression of multiple proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor gene.


Problems concerning road surfacing aggregates in Sweden are described with emphasis on aggregate testing. Wear by studded tyres is the main problem and is greatly influenced by coarse aggregate quality. An aggregate abrasion test has been specified as the existing tests have been insufficient, but work is still going on to find the most suitable test. Wet ball mill tests are being carried out at present. A freeze-thaw test is used for airfield pavements only. Finally the influence of fine aggregate on asphalt concrete quality is discussed and it is shown that low content of secondary minerals can result in a mix with poor durability. A new freeze-thaw test on asphalt mix is presented and the results compared with tests used at present for estimating moisture susceptibility of asphalt mixes.


We present an integrated multiple patch-clamp array chip by utilizing lateral cell trapping junctions. The intersectional design of a microfluidic network provides multiple cell addressing and manipulation sites for efficient electrophysiological measurements at a number of patch sites. The patch pores consist of openings in the sidewall of a main fluidic channel, and a membrane patch is drawn into a smaller horizontal channel. This device geometry not only minimizes capacitive coupling between the cell reservoir and the patch channel, but also allows simultaneous optical and electrical measurements of ion channel proteins. Evidence of the hydrodynamic placement of mammalian cells at the patch sites as well as measurements of patch sealing resistance is presented. Device fabrication is based on micromolding of polydimethylsiloxane, thus allowing inexpensive mass production of disposable high-throughput biochips.


From the mythmaking of primitive cave painters and the rigorous observations of Renaissance painters sprang the two great ways of seeing the world: science and art. Until modern times, the two were often at odds, as each felt the other was trying to stifle it and dominate the conversation. But as the left and right hemispheres of the brain represent rationality and creativity and cannot function normally without massive interconnectedness, so can science and art only give us a complete picture of our world by working together. This paper will explore various ways in which science and art have interacted.


A new combined guidance scheme is proposed considering the shortage of project trajectory.The facile guidance control system based on virtual navigation is designed for simple guided bomb.The new combined guidance scheme is compared with project trajectory firstly.Then a robust guidance law based on extended state observer is designed.The flight control law in pitching loop is designed using parameter space method.Finally,six-degree-of-freedom simulations for guided bomb are realized.Theory analysis and simulation results validate rationality of design and advantage of combined guidance.


Paper introduces Risk breakdown structure created by concerning different internal and external sources of risks during product development. The identified risks are mapped to PD process models in order to provide insight in frequency and understanding of


Containing in the presence of a pH-dependent surfactant, by contacting the fluoropolymer dispersion with an anion exchange resin, a method of reducing the amount of fluorinated emulsifier in the fluoropolymer dispersion, the pH-dependent surfactant the fluoropolymer dispersions that, and uses thereof.


PURPOSE: A method of driving retransfer timer in mobile communication system is provided to improve a data speed by performing a next operation without delaying a time when a retransfer timer is ended. CONSTITUTION: If a radio link protocol(RLP) processor of a receive side receive a frame(110), there is checked whether a retransfer timer is established(103). If so, the RLP processor goes to a step(105) where there is checked whether a value of the timer is wherein a round trip delay(RTD) region. When the value of the timer is higher than a redundancy value, the RLP processor of a receive side goes to a step(111) where the retransfer timer continues to be driven regardless of a type of a received RLP frame. When the value of the timer is lower than a redundancy value, the RLP processor of a receive side goes to a step(107) where a type of a received RLP frame is judged. The RLP processor checks whether the received frame is one of idles and data frames(109). If the received frame is not one of idles and data frames, the RLP processor goes to a step(111) where the retransfer timer is reduced without stopping the timer. If the received frame is one of idles and data frames, the RLP processor goes to a step(113) where there is checked whether the received frame is one of an eraser frame, a control frame, and a retransfer frame. If the received frame is one of an eraser frame, a control frame, and a retransfer frame, the retransfer timer is held(115).


Objective
To investigate the echocardiographic recovery and relapse at long-term follow-up in hospitalized patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Methods
Patients with DCM hospitalized in Heart Failure Care Unit, Fuwai Hospital between 2009-01 and 2013-12 who had repeat echocardiography (ECHO) after discharge were followed to 2015-12 or until all-cause death or cardiac transplantation. Recovery was defined as an absolute increase in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 10% to a level of ≥ 50% and decrease in left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) ≥ 5 mm to a level of ≤ 55 mm on follow-up and relapse was defined as LVEF ≤ 40% or LVEDD ≥60 mm after initial recovery.

Results
A total of 465 patients with DCM were enrolled in this analysis. After a median follow-up of 33 (15, 49) months with repeat ECHO, 134 patients (28.8%) achieved recovery, showing a significant increase in LVEF from (30.8±6.0)% at baseline to (55.7±4.3)% at initial recovery and decrease in LVEDD from (64.5±5.6) mm to (51.0±3.1) mm (both P<0.01), with median recovery duration of 12 (6, 21) months. Symptom duration of heart failure, LVEDD, right ventricular diameter, serum sodium on admission and systolic blood pressure on discharge were found to be independent predictors of recovery (all P<0.01). Among 134 recovered patient, 103 had repeat ECHO after initial recovery, with a median furthe follow up duration of 26(16.43) months, of whom 16 (15.5%) suffered relapse, showing a significant decrease in LVEF from (56.9±3.8) % at initial recovery to (36.7±5.7) % at initial relapse and increase in LVEDD from (52.3±2.4) mm to (64.6±6.1) mm (both P<0.01), with a median relapse duration of 25 (8, 32) months. There was no independent predictor of relapse. Recovered patients had a significant higher transplant-free survival rate than those without recovery at a clinical follow-up duration of 42 (17, 58) months (P<0.01).

Conclusion
About 30% hospitalized patients with DCM can achieve recovery at 3-year follow-up after discharge, which was associated with better long-term prognosis. Moreover, around 16% patients with recovery may suffer a relapse after initial recovery though no predictor was found.

Key words:
Cardiomyopathy, dilated; Prognosis


Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) have been under development since the 80's as part of a global strategy for solving many of our modern life transportation problems. These systems enable people to reach their destinations in a safe, efficient, and comfortable way. In order to reach that goal, several radio access technologies (RAT) such as UMTS, WiFi, WiMAX and 5.9 GHz have been proposed for next generation ITS. Yet, the coexistence of these technologies in the vehicles raises the challenge of choosing the most appropriate RAT. In order to address this problem and define optimal rules for the communication technology selection, comparisons on the network performance have to be done. In this paper, we compare two of the most promising infrastructure-based wireless technologies: mobile WiMAX (based on IEEE 802.16e standard) and the 5.9 GHz technology based on the upcoming IEEE 802.11p standard. We investigate, through simulation, the potential and limitations of both technologies as a communication media for vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications. The performance of the two systems is evaluated for different vehicle speeds, traffic data rates, and network deployments.


Ada Bronowski's The Stoics on Lekta: All There Is to Say offers a comprehensive reconstruction of the role of lekta in Stoic philosophy. Indeed, as one works one's way through 496 pages, it is hard...


The design of the cryptographic algorithm-based motif woven Timor and linear congruential generator is a block cipher design of cryptographic algorithms that operate in the form of bits, and included in symmetric key cryptography techniques. Basically the cryptographic algorithm can encrypt and decrypt the data quite well. However, a cryptographic block cipher must have the basic principles, namely iterated block cipher. This study tries to apply iterated block cipher on cryptographic algorithms of Kain Tenun Timor and linear congruential generator (LCG) to generate the key. Results from this study is the modification of the cryptographic algorithms and LCG summit to generate cryptographic become better based on the randomness of bits to meet safety standards, the basic principles of cryptography block cipher as well as increase the effect by comparing cryptographic Avalance others.


In Sri Lanka, progressive changes have taken place in the status of women during the past four to five decades. Access to education was a major reason for this. With the introduction of the free education system, the literacy rates of women rose rapidly reaching levels almost at par with men, by early 1980s. Among youth, the educational attainment of females rose above those of males, indicating a strong determination and ability by the young women to equip themselves for life. Because of such increasing educational achievements and mounting economic pressures, women have been entering the labour market in increasing numbers. The open economic policies introduced during the last two decades too, attracted thousands of young women into the labour market. Consequently, the number of dual earner families is increasing.


Pauline Rowson reveals the book cover for the first in the explosive new crime series featuring former commando, SBS officer, Art Marvik.


AS readers of the Journal will know the Department of Trade and Industry set up in 1971 a Marine Traffic Systems Steering Group, to commission and coordinate research and development relating to the problems of marine traffic behaviour and to consider practical measures which could be undertaken as regards the Dover Strait area. The Group comprises mariners, economists, scientists and administrators from the Department of Trade and Industry including the National Physical Laboratory, representatives of the Civil Aviation Authority, the Ministry of Defence and, more recently, the Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom and Trinity House. Hargreaves has recently described briefly some of the earlier work arising out of the Group's existence. This paper describes in more detail the activities of the Steering Group from the time of its first meeting in March 1971 to the present day (October 1973). Many of the results of this activity are already known to Members of the Institute as a result of the publication in the Journal of papers read at the Conference on Marine Traffic Engineering held at the N.P.L. in May 1972 and sponsored jointly by the Royal Institute of Navigation and the Royal Institution of Naval Architects.


The life table, one of the basic tools in the description of mortality experience of a population, was first developed as early as 1693 by E. Halley in England. It forms the basis for calculation of the life table estimate of the survivor function, which is still widely used today in the analysis of data from epidemiological studies. Information on survival has long been recognized as an important component in monitoring cancer control activities [1]. Like all other health indices, survival statistics are useful primarily as comparative measures. It is these comparisons that help us to suggest possible reasons for the variations and provide targets for improvement and a means of monitoring progress towards them [2]. Survival data obtained from a population-based cancer registry ideally portrays the average outcome of the disease in the pertaining region covered since it is based on an unselected series of incident cancer cases [3].


Actinote anteas (Doubleday and Hewitson) and Actinote thalia pyrrha (Fabricius) are two biocontrol agents for controlling Mikania micrantha H.B.K.They were introduced to China from Indonesia Oil Palm Institute in 2001. The starvation endurance ability of Actinote spp. larvae was measurated at (26.0±1.0)℃ with a 12 L∶12 D photoperiod in the laboratory. The results indicated that the mortality of the 1st , 2nd and 4th instar larvae all increased with the time of starvation. The starvation endurance ability increased with their growth stages. The 1st , 2nd and 4th instar larvae may survive for about 3 d, 6 d and 9 d respectively instarvation.


Dynamics of bound residues of 14C-chlorotoluron, distribution of the bound residues in the components of humus,and their absorption by step-crop (rice) were investigated in paddy soil and black soil under simulated aerobic and anaerobic conditions respectively. The results show that: (1) The bound residues of 14C-chloro-toluron in soil were very considerable and increasing with the incubation time. The organic substance and humidity contained in the soil affected the bound residues remarkably. The bound residues in black soil with more organic substance and clay particles were higher than those in paddy soil,and under anaerobic conditions were higher than under aerobic conditions. (2) Bound residues of 14C-chlorotoluron mainly bound with the components of soil humus,the distribution of which was in the order of humin humic acid fulvic acid. (3) Bound residues of 14C-chloro-toluron in soils could be absorbed by step-crop (rice) and moved to the upper part , that would cause chemical injury, chlorosis and necrosis for the leaf tip.


The volume change in response to external stimuli, conveniently and reliably, the external stimulus measuring apparatus and external stimuli using the same optical characteristic molecule introduced stimuli responsive gel and convertible into easily handled optical information in constructing a sensor system to provide a method of measurement. Molecules having a fluorescent chromophore, or a molecule which absorbs visible light or ultraviolet light, the molecule having the fluorescent chromophore, or the content of molecules that absorb visible light or ultraviolet light, the optical characteristic molecule introduced stimulation the concentration of molecules with a fluorescent chromophore in the responsive gel, or the concentration of molecules that absorb visible light or ultraviolet light of the optical characteristics molecules introduced stimulus-responsive in gel, the optical characteristic molecule introduced stimulus-responsive gel and the absorbance of the fluorescence intensity or visible light or ultraviolet light, is introduced to the stimulus-responsive gel to be in the range such that substantially proportional.


This paper is an innovative study about the territorial organisation of the Spanish State (TOSS) and how it is anchored and fits within definitions of nationhood. This is a technical contribution in the form of a codification protocol designed to measure changes in preferences regarding the TOSS and feelings of belonging to Spain and a given region in political discourse. Both social phenomena have experienced major changes in recent years; but in order to understand how these changes have occurred and how they have been legitimised by political elites, an instrument is needed to measure these changes systematically over time. A methodological framework is presented here that has been applied to a comparative study of five different Statutes of Autonomy and the reforms that they have undergone, together with a preliminary overview of the results produced by the protocol.


The adventitia and outer media of large blood vessels are supplied with nutrients by microscopic blood vessels called vasa vasorum. While vasa vasorum have been implicated in a number of diseases including atherosclerosis, knowledge of their functional anatomy and specific role in these diseases has been hindered due to the small size of the vasa vasorum, and difficulty in accessing them. Micro-CT and histological methods have been used in ex-vivo animal studies of the vasa vasorum, but these techniques are limited by their inability to be used for in-vivo investigation. As such, there is very little in-vivo human data available. Intra-vascular ultrasound can acquire high-resolution anatomic images of coronary vessels. ChromaFlo IVUS has been used to identify blood flow in vessel lumens and has exciting prospect for in-vivo studies of vasa vasorum functional anatomy. In this study, ChromaFlo IVUS images of the human mid-left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) were segmented to analyze the distribution of adventitial vasa vasorum proximal to intimal plaque. Previous animal studies suggest that formation of intimal plaque is accompanied by increased density of adventitial vasa vasorum. The data collected with ChromaFlo ultrasound is inconsistent with the current literature. While IVUS has the fidelity to acquire high-resolution US images of the coronary arteries, ChromaFlo lacks the necessary resolving power to differentiate the vasa vasorum. Further study of IVUS and other imaging methods on a large cohort will provide the basis for future in-vivo analysis of coronary disease.


Introduction Existing in a social space between the state and the market, civil society can be a site for both fragmentation and solidarity. While most civil society organisations (CSOs) claim to work towards a normative vision of social, economic or cultural development, they do not operate in an organisational vacuum divorced from socio-political reality. They can be representative of different interests and different identities of the people, but they can also play contradictory roles in the development process. The existence of a wide range of civil society organisations can indicate a vibrant democracy; however, if the competing visions of civil society organisations in different domains come into conflict with each other, situations of instability may arise.


Based on the Guest 1997 organizational outcome model, this explanatory study examined the effects of five dimensions of practices of HR. i.e. performance evaluation, recruitment & selection, compensation & reward, career opportunities within organization and training & development on proximal business outcomes (Flexibility & Quality of Operations). The study validates components of GUEST model by integrating between HRM dimensions and banking operations, thus strengthens the existing theoretical model of GUEST by improving the comprehensiveness as it provides analytical framework for studying HR. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was utilized in the current study, and tested the study hypotheses by SEM to analyze the proposed conceptual model. It was found that all five chosen HR practices had significant influence on the quality of operations however for flexibility of operations, performance appraisals and career within organization have shown significant role for banking industry of the country, Pakistan. The study contributed to the construction and validation of structural. path and measurement models(MM) of SHRM practices and two selected operational competitive outcomes based on theoretical and empirical foundations, which will  help progress the human resource management future researches and important implications for HR mangers, as very little work has been done on interdisciplinary framework of HR and OM specifically within context of South Asian banking Industry.


John Hay began his involvement in the diplomatic relations of the United States and Spain during a time of political instability. In Madrid as Secretary at the United States Legation, Hay recorded his thoughts and observations about his host country in Castilian Days, a popular travel book published in 1871. This book helped Hay, an upcoming statesman, to present his political, religious and cultural views to the American public. Three decades later, Secretary of State Hay released a new version of Castilian Days, this time with images. Joseph Pennell's illustrations, carefully composed and artfully drawn, soothed Hay's chauvanistic tone and provided a major policy maker with a new voice for addressing the public. Castilian Days no longer stood as an overt platform for imperialistic ambition; now it also appeared to be an apolitical work of art.


The Aharonov-Bohm electrodynamics is a generalization of Maxwell theory with reduced gauge invariance. It allows to couple the electromagnetic field to a charge which is not locally conserved, and has an additional degree of freedom, the scalar field $S=\partial_\alpha A^\alpha$, usually interpreted as a longitudinal wave component. By re-formulating the theory in a compact Lagrangian formalism, we are able to eliminate $S$ explicitly from the dynamics and we obtain generalized Maxwell equation with interesting properties: they give $\partial_\mu F^{\mu \nu}$ as the (conserved) sum of the (possibly non-conserved) physical current density $j^\nu$, and a "secondary" current density $i^\nu$ which is a non-local function of $j^\nu$. This implies that any non-conservation of $j^\nu$ is effectively "censored" by the observable field $F^{\mu \nu}$, and yet it may have real physical consequences. We give examples of stationary solutions which display these properties. Possible applications are to systems where local charge conservation is violated due to anomalies of the ABJ kind or to macroscopic quantum tunnelling with currents which do not satisfy a local continuity equation.


These boats were gathered at Elevator A probably during the water pageant celebrating the opening of the Intracoastal Waterway from Galveston to Corpus Christi, June 1913.


The proposed surface water and ocean topography (SWOT) mission aims at observing short scale ocean topography with an unprecedented resolution and accuracy. Its main proposed sensor is a radar interferometer, so a major source of topography error is the roll angle: the relative positions of SWOT's antennas must be known within a few micrometers. Because reaching SWOT's stringent requirements with onboard roll values is challenging, we carried out simulations as a contingency strategy (i.e., to be ready if roll is larger than anticipated) that could be used with ground-based data. We revisit the empirical calibration algorithms with additional solving methods (e.g., based on orbit sub-cycle) and more sophisticated performance assessments with spectral decompositions. We also explore the link between the performance of four calibration methods and the attributes of their respective calibration zones: size and geometry (e.g., crossover diamonds), temporal variability (e.g., how many days between overlapping SWOT images). In general, the so-called direct method (using a single SWOT image) yields better coverage and smaller calibrated roll residuals because the full extent of the swath can be used for calibration, but this method makes an extensive use of the external nadir constellation to separate roll from oceanic variability, and it is more prone to leakages from oceanic variability on roll (i.e., true topography signal is more likely to be corrupted if it is misinterpreted as roll) and inaccurate modeling of the true topography spectrum. For SWOT's baseline orbit (21 days repeat and 10.9 days sub-cycle), three other methods are found to be complementary with the direct method: swath crossovers, external nadir crossovers, and sub-cycle overlaps are shown to provide an additional calibration capability, albeit with complex latitude-varying coverage and performance. The main asset of using three or four methods concurrently is to minimize systematic leakages from oceanic variability or measurement errors, by maximizing overlap zones and by minimizing the temporal variability with one-day to three-day image differences. To that extent, SWOT's proposed "contingency orbit" is an attractive risk reduction asset: the one-day sub-cycle overlaps of adjoining swaths would provide a good, continuous, and self-sufficient (no need for external nadirs) calibration scheme. The benefit is however essentially located at mid to high-latitudes and it is substantial only for wavelengths longer than 100 km.


This paper studies a strategic distribution network design problem of bulk materials considering two different distribution modes. The bulk materials are first unloaded in the distribution centers (in seaports) from large vessels on sea, and then transported to the demand terminals by small cargo ships or trains or trucks. Also, some demand terminals with berths on rivers allow these large vessels to unload the materials in their berths after necessary partly load-off in the distribution centers first. A mixed-integer model is established to address our concern of the selections of unloading centers in seaports and the choice of distribution ways. Benders decomposition (BD) are derived with strengthened Benders cuts. Computational study are conducted to illustrate the performance and effectiveness of the proposed solution approach.


The recent rapid development and progress witnessed in electronics, particularly the reduction in size along with the improvement in processing power in the field of microcontrollers, microprocessors, sensors and other electronic devices, has rendered feasible and realistic the development of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), either for professional or for amateur use. In the present dissertation, the study and development process of building such a vehicle, in this case a tetracopter, is presented and explained. Tetracopters belong to the class of UAVs that take advantage of the use of multiple motors-propellers for their navigation. Tetracopters, as it is obvious by their name, use four (4) sets of motors-propellers, each of which operates individually and independently from the rest of the sets. This allows the operator to take advantage of the Euler angles such us yaw, pitch and roll; as a result the operator has full control of the vehicle's position and velocity. Tetracopters, as well as UAVs in general, are named as such because the aircraft can be controlled without any humans onboard. The most popular ways to control a vehicle of this category is • either through a wireless telecontroller that transmits the desired flight angles to the receiver installed on the vehicle,
• or by loading on the vehicle pre-programmed missions which direct the craft to follow a pre-specified route by going through certain geographic locations, transmitted by a computer or a smart device (smartphone-tablet). Apart from the steps necessary for the design and development of such a system, this dissertation briefly explains the different methods used to develop UAVs capable of carrying out autonomous missions and object following flying modes. The most accessible and efficient way will be chosen to demonstrate the alternative ways of controlling the route of UAVs.


Motivated by recent results in multiphoton interferometry, we expand a result of Kostant on immanants of an arbitrary m × m unitary matrix T ∈ SU ( m ) ?> to the submatrices of T. Specifically, we show that immanants of principal submatrices of a unitary matrix T are a sum ∑ t D tt ( λ ) ( &OHgr; ) ?> of the diagonal D-functions of group element Ω, with t determined by the choice of submatrix, and the irrep (λ) determined by the immanant under consideration. We also provide evidence that this result extends to some submatrices that are not principal diagonal, and we discuss how this result can be extended to cases where T carries an SU(m) representation that is different from the defining representation.


Like most social Hymenoptera, queens of the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, mate only at the beginning of their reproductive lives. They receive an initial supply of about 7 million sperm which they gradually parcel out over a period of almost 7 yr until the supply is exhausted and they can no longer produce female offspring. Using the monogynous form of the fire ant, efficiency of sperm use was determined directly by allowing four newly mated queens to rear approximately 0.5 million workers. The mean sperm count of these queens declined by 1.7 million from the starting value, yielding an efficiency of 3.2 sperm per adult female offspring. Sperm-use efficiency was also determined indirectly for field queens based on calculations that show these queens expend 7.0 million sperm to produce 2.6 million workers for an efficiency of about 2.6 sperm per adult female. Lifetime worker production was calculated from annual estimates of colony growth and worker turnover. These estimates of fire ant sperm-use efficiency are about 10 times higher than those reported for honey bee queens and astronomically higher than those of most nonsocial animals. Apparently, efficient use of sperm is an important reproductive capability for S. invicta and other social insects with high reproductive outputs.


IL-4 is known to promote the differentiation of CD4+ T cells into IL-4-secreting Th2 cells. However, the cellular source of the early burst of IL-4 that drives Th2 responses in vivo has not been conclusively identified. Mice deficient for the IL-4 receptor α-chain (IL-4Rα−/−) retain the capacity to secrete IL-4 and can be used to identify those cell types that produce IL-4 without a requirement for prior IL-4-mediated stimulation. To address whether naive, conventional CD4+ T cells may act as initial producers of IL-4 in Ag-specific responses, we crossed the BALB/c IL-4Rα−/−mice to DO11.10/scid TCR transgenic mice. Lymph node cells from wild-type and IL-4Rα−/− DO11.10/scid mice secreted ∼50 pg of IL-4 per106 cells within 48 h after peptide stimulation. This small amount of IL-4 was sufficient to cause the differentiation of wild-type CD4+ T cells into Th2 cells, particularly if IFN-γ and IL-12 were neutralized during the priming cultures. CD4+ cells from the IL-4Rα−/− mice gave rise to a minor proportion (∼2%) of IL-4-producing cells upon stimulation in the presence of anti-IFN-γ and anti-IL-12. These data show that conventional, naive CD4+ T cells may be considered as initial sources of IL-4 and, in the absence of IFN-γ and IL-12, this IL-4 can induce Th2 polarization.


This paper is grounded in the empirical reality of a growing use of the ICTs in public administrations. Generally, informationand communication technologies (ICTs) are being introduced in an organization in order to increase operational efficiency, quality, and transparency. But, besides these intended effects, the introduction of the ICTs also leads to substantial changes in the power relationships among all involved actors. This paper therefore studies the implications of ICTs on the changing power relations in local public administration settings.


Currently, the so-called "inclusive education", which acts as the only internationally recognized tool to enforce everyone's right to education, is becoming a very important part of the education system reform in Russia. Inclusive education, as part of the educational policy of many countries - members of the international organization UNESCO, is seen as a dynamic approach, which presupposes a positive attitude to the diversity of students as well as perception of individual characteristics not as a problem, but as an opportunity to enrich the learning process. High quality education for all students is an essential requirement of educational inclusion applied in international practice. Nowadays, in modern practice there is already some positive experience in implementation of inclusion in the process of teaching foreign languages at higher educational institutions. Basic knowledge of a foreign language helps such students to socialize, to become more independent and to avoid difficulties when communicating and interacting in the educational environment. Thus, the main task of inclusive education - socialization of children with disabilities is implemented. Moreover, practice of this type is based on the idea of accepting the individuality of each student. That is why, the process should be organized in such way to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Therefore, this paper is aimed at studying the strategies of involving students with disabilities in the educational process and improving their results when teaching a foreign language. The authors focus on Internet resources and communication strategies used in interaction with students in the framework of inclusive education.


The article presents a new method of SSB modulation which ensures maximum compatibility with AM reception. Theoretically ideal compatibility with AM receivers and theoretically ideal absence of out-of-band radiation are reached by means of application of an envelope with an infinite spectrum. It is shown that the finiteness of the spectrum of the radio signal is ensured as a consequence of the infinity of the spectrum of the envelope. The spectrum width of the proposed radio signal is equal to the spectrum width of the common SSB radio signal. Theoretical inferences are confirmed by the results of experimental tests. The proposed radio signal can be received by common home AM receivers and no other special receivers are necessary. Application of the proposed method of transmission in broadcasting makes it possible to speed up the introduction of SSB broadcasting because the broadcasters will not risk losing their audience and the listeners will not be forced to buy new receivers.


tems hope to increase the efficiency of care delivery, enhance the coordination of care, and lower costs by consolidating resources.' With the emphasis on integrated delivery systems (IDSs) two questions that can be asked are (1) How involved are home health care agencies in IDS and (2) Are there different expectations of senior management in the IDS environment versus the independent organization model? The first thorough analysis to explore the status of home care in the evolving health care delivery sys-


of 'similars' and 'dilutions'. To address the efficacy and safety of homeopathy for ARTIs, a recent Cochrane systematic review found eight randomised controlled trials of 1562 children comparing an oral homeopathic product with a control (placebo or conventional therapy). Unsurprisingly, they discovered numerous, major methodological flaws in these randomised controlled trials, resulting in a high risk of bias, and overall low-quality evidence. Moreover, due to methodological inconsistencies, and both clinical and statistical heterogeneity, pooling of the results was not possible (i.e. no meta-analysis). The authors concluded: 'Pooling of two prevention and two treatment studies did not show any benefit of homeopathic medicinal products compared to placebo on either recurrence of ARTI or cure rates in children'. Because of poor reporting of adverse events, no conclusions about harm could be drawn. A telling finding was: 'All studies assessed as at low risk of bias showed no benefit from oral homeopathic medicinal products; trials at uncertain and high risk of bias reported beneficial effects.'


This paper studies how assigning the jobs with precedence and successor relationship to every person(or facility)so that the engineering period is the shortest,and in this premise the total time of completing all the jobs in the engineering is the least.Through reveal the changed law of the earliest start time of all other jobs when the time of any job or its earliest start time is altered,an iterative algorithm is established to obtain the optimal solution in virtue of Floyd algorithm.The algorithm can ensure that the engineering period is shortened with iteration and the total time is decreased with iteration when the engineering period is the shortest.The algorithm is convenient rather than drawing the PERT figure,only the time of every person doing different jobs and the sequential order of all the jobs are inputted,the optimal assignment solution,the shortest engineering period and the earliest start time and relaxation time of every job can be obtained.


Purpose
Organisational learning is fundamental in establishing a fearless organisation, creating a competitive advantage and maintaining a sustained growth. While research suggests that leaders can influence organisational learning, there is currently no empirical evidence on how inclusive leadership fosters organisational learning behaviour. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between inclusive leadership and organisational learning behaviour. It also seeks to explore the mediating role of psychological safety and climate for initiatives in the mentioned relationship.

Design/methodology/approach
The study used a two-wave quantitative examination with 317 respondents. Online survey was used to collect data from randomly selected full-time Australian employees in two times. The data were then analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling to provide insights.

Findings
The study found empirical evidence on the positive association of inclusive leadership and organisational learning behaviour. Moreover, the two mediation paths of psychological safety and climate for initiative were supported for the relationship between inclusive leadership and organisational learning behaviour.

Research limitations/implications
The current study contributes to theory by examining the role of inclusive leadership on organisational learning behaviour through two relatively unexplored mediating paths. It suggests how inclusive leadership can create a fearless organisation through fostering learning behaviour within the organisation which empowers organisations to sustain growth. Despite controlling for and assessing endogeneity, due to the cross-sectional design of the study, it is limited in demonstrating causal links.

Originality/value
The current study provides empirical evidence on the role of inclusive leadership in fostering organisational learning behaviour through two mediating paths of psychological safety and climate for initiatives. The proposed model sets the ground for future research to further develop insights on positive impacts of inclusive leadership within organisations.


In China, haze days is occurring more and more frequently. By remote sensing, haze area can be monitored quickly over large region. In this paper, from level 1B data of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) and meteorologic data, the haze distribution is monitored by the threshold of apparent reflectance and brightness temperature in eight bands, and haze optical depth (HOD) are monitored by deep blue algorithm. From October 2 to 14 in the year of 2011, we monitor haze occurrence from MODIS data over North China Plain. The results show: (1) the areas with dense industries, large population, and a mass of vehicles have the most haze days; (2) when the haze occurs, PM10 will increase obvious.


This chapter describes the decompression and presentation in only a rudimentary way since the standards for compression do not include/comprise the decompression part. The decompression system must correctly re‐create the compressed content. The chapter starts with audio compression and introduces diverse mechanisms used for compression. It discusses image encoding and then introduces different video compression methods. Analog‐to‐digital converters digitize analog signals by sampling and quantization. The basics of video coding are then discussed. The Joint Photographic Expert Group (JPEG) created this standard in 1992 and the standard took over the group name. Since 1990, the Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) of ISO and ITU‐T has published diverse video compression standards. Other main video compression standards are Video Codec 1 (VC1), VC‐2, VP8, VP9, and China AVS. For live event transmission in HD/UltraHD, only well‐accepted video standards are applied.


Purpose: To develop a probabilistic model of outcomes of radiation therapy which includes both dosimetric and non‐dosimetric predictors, and includes a decision‐making component to quantify the balance between disease cure and radiation‐induced side‐effects. This model was implemented to assess IMRTtreatment plans for individual patients for head and neck cancer.Materials and Methods: Physicians have available many resources that may not be easily reconcilable to predict patient outcomes. Dosimetric indicators, such as the EUD and NTCP are probabilistic in nature, without explicit representation of the underlying biology. Clinical trials focus on patient and disease characteristics, such as disease location, T‐stage, nodal involvement, Karnofsky performance status, and often include one treatment variable, such as DVH‐cutpoints or chemotherapy regimes. Newly recognized factors, such as HPV positivity, may affect outcome, however, without definitive clinical data, integrating such factors into clinical decision‐making is not straightforward. Finally, experience‐driven beliefs affect treatment choices and may vary between physicians. We combine all of the aforementioned resources using a Bayesian network in order to make an outcome prediction for each IMRT plan. Outcome predictions highlight the stark trade‐off between preventing recurrent disease that generally has a fatal prognosis and preventing radiation‐induced side effects that range from xerostemia to blindness to paralysis. We use a MarkovModel to compute a quality‐adjusted life expectancy using patient preferences for health states. Results: Probabilities of local and distant control matched published values well, as did life expectancies. The trade‐offs between quality of life and quantity of life are explored. Sensitivity analysis highlighted physician beliefs that affected treatment choices. Conclusions:Modeling of radiation therapy has grown progressively more sophisticated. We present a method by which probabilities and expected values of clinically relevant outcomes, based on a range of variables, are calculated.


parliament and the international (or supemational) assembly. This is a relationship that becomes quite complex when one seeks to ferret out the influences of party groups within the national parliamentary body. The second point of major concern involves the internal operation of the assembly. Each assembly has its own frame of reference. Each assembly has its own capacity for decision-making. The overlap of function and even more the overlap of parliamentarians attending several assemblies is a matter of special concern to the author. The problems and the practical difficulties of solving them


Apparatus comprising a system disk filter ring having a housing (10, 12), a childlist stack (32) of filter ring disc in the housing (10, 12) with an inlet (16) and outlet (18) for lacirculacion fluid from the inlet (16) through the stack of elements (32) filter, and outward toward lasalida (18), a diverter (41) fluid to direct fluid during RANSACTIONS normal filter from the inlet (16) through elements (32) disc filter ring to create a filter action, a tube (36) depulverizacion having a plurality of holes (38) of fluid through the same axially oriented Interspersed throughout its length; said tube (36) spray being disposed internally of said childlist stack (32) disc filter ring to direct fluid outwardly through said elements (32) filter or other unsafe ring to purge impurities into the housing (10, 12); an opening (25) in the housing (10, 12), inwhich the tube (36) is movable spray up and down inside the opening (25); and a plate (30) compression mounted in said tube (36) to normally compress spray elements (32) defiltro together to filter impurities in the fluid; and being movable along said plate (30) ydicho compression tube (36) spray, wherein the apparatus includes a plurality of legs (34a) of columnainteriores with respect to said stack of elements (32) ring disc, and in that , when fluid purgapasa through the spray tube, placed internally of said legs (34a) column, lapresion of said fluid against the compression plate reduces the compression elements (32) of filter abrirde thus the spaces between the elements (32) filter to facilitate purging action.


T NHERE have been so many recent developments in the library field and the boundaries of the work have been so extended that a regional organization such as the Southeastern Library Association must take stock and plan carefully for the future. An office for library service in Washington has been a dream of librarians for many years; and now that it has become a reality, we feel that we are really a part of the co-ordinated work of the government. State aid for libraries has been discussed also, but only recently have librarians gone forth boldly, presented their claims, and received their just deserts. Now we are on the eve of federal grants to the states for extension of library service to rural areas. Whether these things have come about because librarians have really awakened to their opportunities or whether librarians have become less mouselike and have at last expressed themselves boldly, it is hard to say, but the implications in this new world of library opportunity are a challenge to all of us, and we must plan and work to develop the possibilities that lie ahead. In order to understand the situation in the Southeast, it might be well to take a backward glance into the history of library work in this section of the country and into the conditions, economic and social, which form its setting. Co-ordinated library work in the South may be said to have had its first great impetus on November 12-I3, I920, for it was at that time that the first conference of southeastern librarians was held at Signal Mountain, Tennessee; and it was as a result of this meeting that real library planning in the South as a section began. To trace the history of library development in this section is to follow the proceedings of these biennial conferences since I920. The distance traveled in those eighteen


Sparse arrays are used in the field of array signal processing because of their advantages, such as larger aperture and lower array mutual interference. The nested array and coprime array are sparse arrays that identify O(N2) sources, where N is the number of array elements. Many algorithms have been introduced to such identification recently. The method of high-order statistics can obtain better performance than the second-order statistics and solve many problems that the second-order statistics cannot explain. Moreover, the high-order statistics of additive white Gaussian noise is 0, which can suppress the Gaussian white noise automatically. So in this paper, it is possible to combine higher-order statistics with the MUSIC algorithm (HOS-MUSIC) on nested arrays and coprime arrays. Compared with the direct MUSIC algorithm, the HOS-MUSIC algorithm can also identify the two closely spaced sources without ambiguity in the two sparse arrays, and the RMSE of the HOS-MUSIC algorithm on sparse arrays is smaller. The HOS-MUSIC algorithm will be shown that there are more advantages in the sparse arrays DOA estimation. At the end of the paper, we also consider the use of nested arrays and coprime arrays for the case where the number of spaced sources is more than N.


This paper focuses on the problem of delay-dependent stability for nonlinear quadratic Takagi–Sugeno (TS) fuzzy systems with time-varying delay using the input–output approach. The results are based on the model transformation by employing a three-terms approximation of delayed state vector. By applying the scaled small-gain theorem and Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional, the stability criteria is obtained in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Furthermore, the Wirtinger-based integral inequality approach has been employed to derive less conservative results. Finally, the numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the obtained results and for comparison with previous work.


This paper describes analysis and conditions of men's wear. Conditions and forms of wearing in various periods of time are considered, comparing different wear properties, conditions and styles. Special attention is paid to outerwear and underwear, socks, ties and fashion accessories that characterize and contribute to the attractiveness of men's wear. Finally, a review of body dimensions in terms of garment construction and fit is given.


An Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon or EPIRB is used to alert search and rescue services in the event of an emergency. When activated, such beacons send out a distress signal, which is monitored, and location of signal is triangulated. However, this service is mainly available for large entities like airplane and ships. Also, the EPIRB only transmits the location of the distress. The receiver of the signal has no clue about the nature and severity of the distress. In this project, using the power of Internet of things, we aim to build an Emergency Beacon that can be used by each and every individual in distress situations. The emergency beacon transmits the location of the device bearer, and the pictures of his surroundings, to one or more authorized Android devices, whenever the device bearer presses the button on the emergency beacon. The pictures of the surroundings of the emergency beacon will help the rescuer to know about the kind and severity of the distress situation, thereby aiding in better rescue. Also, the device sends periodic updates about the last known location of the device, to the server. Additionally, the authorized android device can also query the location of the device bearer at any point of time. The emergency beacon that we have built enables the device bearer to transmit a distress signal consisting of his location and photos of his surrounding conditions, to the authorized Android device in fewer than two minutes, following which the Android device bearer can send the necessary help to aid in the distress situation. The usability of the device can be further improved by investing in expensive and powerful GPS and camera modules, smaller components and better servers. Consequently, these improvements will help in reducing the size of the device, better location accuracy, higher resolution and wider-angle pictures and faster transmission of distress signals.


Abstract Nutrient acquisition has been shown to be related to the root cation exchange capacity of roots (root‐CEC). Here, the effects of root‐age and liming or gypsum treatments on root‐CEC of fine roots of sessile oak [Quercus petraea. (M.) Liebl.] were studied. In the field, sampling was carried out one to five years, and in rootboxes 3.5 months, after the treatments. Root‐CEC was determined by an adapted desorption method based on percolation with 10−2 NCuSO4. The results showed that the root‐CEC was higher in young whitish roots than in older brownish roots, mainly as a result of higher concentrations of potassium (K). Liming or gypsum applications increased relative occupation by calcium (Ca) of root‐CEC and Ca/aluminum (Al) molar ratio, while decreasing relative occupation of Al (all significant at P<0.05), and this was true for older brownish roots and in the field, but not for young whitish roots. This indicates that the potential of fine roots for uptake of base cations, decreasing with root age...


This paper introduces a general market modeling framework, the benchmark approach, which assumes the existence of the numeraire portfolio. This is the strictly positive portfolio that when used as benchmark makes all benchmarked nonnegative portfolios supermartingales, that is intuitively speaking downward trending or trendless. It can be shown to equal the Kelly portfolio which maximizes expected logarithmic utility. In several ways the Kelly or numeraire portfolio is the \best" performing portfolio and cannot be outperformed systematically by any other nonnegative portfolio. Its use in pricing as numeraire leads directly to the real world pricing formula, which employs the real world probability when calculating conditional expectations. In a large regular flnancial market, the Kelly portfolio is shown to be approximated by well diversifled portfolios.


Rationale Although pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) is potentially curative in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH), some patients have distally distributed disease that is not amenable to surgery. The aetiology and characteristics of this patient group are currently not well understood. Objectives This study compares the baseline demographics and outcomes of subjects with distal CTEPH, proximal CTEPH and Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (IPAH). This will help determine whether these conditions represent separate entities, or whether they in fact exist along the same spectrum of disease. Methods The medical history, clinical characteristics, Bone Morphogenetic Receptor type 2 (BMPR2) mutation status and outcomes of 96 IPAH, 35 distal CTEPH and 68 proximal CTEPH subjects referred to a single specialist centre between 1994 and 2005 were reviewed. Results There were significant differences between the distal CTEPH, proximal CTEPH and IPAH groups in age (55.9yrs vs 54.8yrs vs 46.2yrs p<0.0001), proportion who were male (43% vs 69% vs 29% p<0. Both distal CTEPH and IPAH subjects were managed similarly, and had comparable survival characteristics (77% 1yr, 53% 3yrs vs 86% 1yr, 60% 3yrs p=0.68). Conclusions Distal and proximal CTEPH groups share certain demographic features that not only indicate a common aetiology but also help differentiate them from IPAH patients. Despite more favourable haemodynamic parameters in the distal CTEPH group, subjects displayed a poor long term outcome similar to that of IPAH subjects.INTRODUCTION Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is an important cause of pulmonary hypertension that is commonly considered to be the consequence of acute pulmonary embolic disease(1). Following an acute event, unresolved residual thrombus becomes organised and fibrosed, leading to ongoing obstruction to pulmonary blood flow. Untreated, this leads to progressive pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular dysfunction and death(2). Recent evidence suggests that CTEPH may be more common than originally anticipated and may complicate up to 3.8% of acute pulmonary embolic events(3). In patients with predominantly 'proximal' disease surgical intervention (Pulmonary Endarterectomy or PEA) can be very effective, often leading to normalisation of pulmonary arterial pressures(4). However, when the degree of haemodynamic compromise is out of proportion to the quantity of surgically accessible disease, surgery is often inappropriate(5). Pulmonary endarterectomy in these patients is less successful, and is associated with a higher mortality(6). In this inoperable or 'distal' disease, where the majority of organised thrombus lies beyond the subsegmental level, management has historically consisted of supportive therapy alone.


Abstract : The purpose of this research was to develop criteria for a uniform Equipment Identification Coding System (EICS). The EICS would possess the following characteristics: (1) facilitate the coding of maintenance management information; (2) be compatible with the Chart of Accounts Structure prescribed by DOD Directive 7220.14 for the generation of maintenance costing information at all levels of maintenance; and (3) be compatible with uniform DOD Research and Development System Work Breakdown Structure process to facilitate the use of technical data including maintainability and reliability indices of hardware.


The introduction of a sterically hindered pyridine ligand to a photosensitive platinum(iv) drug for drug delivery resulted in a >100 fold increase in effectiveness compared to the gold standard, cisplatin.